Till India's hockey team led 4-0, the match had the look of a clinical, hard-fought, all-men-on-deck game; clean, crisp, and direct. Then they decided to enter Gillian Flynn territory, a dash of suspense, get that heart racing. In the space of three minutes, Japan shot in twice. India were caught napping. Time ran out. Japan would have gone back home thinking they had their hand on the tiller, till the bell rang. The signs were there early on. In today’s modern hockey, with its four quarters like four different games at times, the first quarter usually isn't the last chapter written. Teams take a sense of the situation. Get their communication going. Flanks working. Ensure the game plan is adhered to.
In terms of the match, this Pool A encounter was crucial. Winning was one step closer to topping the Pool. That showed in the first quarter, till the 13th minute. India building from the back, using the middle and the right flank. Harmanpreet Singh, back to his best, though his languorous style of play, always makes you feel the sense of space and time, and how some gifts are bestowed on only a few players. An early aerial, deep inside India’s territory, arched over the entire pitch, dropping a foot inside the Japanese touch line. Jarmanpreet Singh, the Nordic on the right flank, dropped the ball dead on his stick, whacked in a cross which Sukhjeet missed by inches. The tempo had been set.
Japan moves a lot from their left. But, on this day, the Indian defence held, rotated the ball, ensured minimum errors. There was no breathing space for the reigning Asian Games champions. Varun Kumar, fidgety at times, kept the play simple with Amit Rohidas backing up to the defence, plugging the holes. In the first 10 minutes, India had two PCs with Japan one.
The goal came in the 13th minute. Abhishek trapping, a half-turn, tapping the ball into the vacant zone. At the 2018 Asian Games, coached by Harendra Singh, India had beaten Japan 8-0; a match of such fluidity, ease of movement that it fell just short of being perfect. Even the then coach Siegfried Aikman, now the Oman coach, said: “Caught India on a bad day.”
Five years later, there is a new coach, captain and tactically, it is secure the defence first. Craig Fulton believes in bagging the three points; the objective is to win. At the start of the second quarter, the rhythm had been established – Hardik, Gurjant, Mandeep, with one-touch moves, slowly chipped away at the Japanese. Mandeep Singh, flailing arms and legs, picked up a Nilakanta Sharma pass, deflected, the ball bouncing off the goalkeeper and running into goal. Two up, two quarters to go, India was in the perfect spot.
In the previous game, South Korea with its Dad’s Army, nine players above 30, with four which includes their captain Nam Yong (40) above 35 had taken a 2-0 lead against China. The hosts, the better team, in the last two quarters, stormed back in the last eight minutes to equalize 2-2 and with 30 seconds left, found the match-winner.
Fulton didn’t want any heroics from Japan. India kept its back line secure, no leaving space. Hardik found his sweet spot, controlling the game, his lazy elegance belying the intelligence in his play. The Jalandhar boy is never in a rush, soft touch on the ball, he glides, drifts through the middle of the field, a puff of air. After his moves had broken open the Japanese defence, once again, Rohidas, flawless in his PC conversion, made it 3-0.
In the 48th minute, all the control that India showed, created the fourth goal: Hardik opened the channel with Abhishek tapping to Mandeep. The Japanese goalkeeper had advanced. Mandeep’s tap back to Abhishek and the Sonipat boy had his second goal of the match.
Now, India picked up the Gillian Flynn playbook.
Gaps appeared. Lethargy replaced vigour. The mind went soft. The 4-0 lead was a good meal and the team burped without seeing it off. Four Japanese PCs followed in quick succession; a sub-plot was developing. In the 57th, Genki Mitani, deflected the ball in. The Champions came on strongly. India buckled with 39 seconds to go. Japan shot through the gap as Ryosei Kato’s reverse almost tore apart the netting. The hooter went. A long, unheard sigh of release from the Indian camp. Three points with a 4-2 win for India.
Hardik said the win was a relief: “It sure is, they are the Asian Games Champions.” He did admit that India switched off, took it easy; something that the team had been talking about. The 2018 Asian Games semifinal is still fresh. The hurt lingers. “We have to stay switched on, no matter what the score is.”
Craig Fulton, a couple of worry lines dancing around his eyebrows, was more direct: “In the end, we did try and play a bit of the same game and got beaten (conceded two goals).
With Pakistan next on Saturday, an emotional exercise, than just a game, Fulton wants improvement. “More phases of possession,” he says. “We don’t need to score another three after going 4-0 up with five mins to go.”
Pakistan is another step of the seven games required to win gold and book a place for Paris. “It’s a bigger goal here in the Asian Games and Pakistan will be a nice challenge.”
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